The Salt Lick BBQ

Open-pit Hill Country 'cue under the Driftwood oaks

The Salt Lick BBQ is a barbecue restaurant in Austin, Texas.

Founded by Thurman and Hisako Roberts in 1967, The Salt Lick is a Driftwood landmark that cooks brisket, sausage, and pork ribs over an open stone pit in full view of the dining room. The sprawling Hill Country campus, the cash-only counter, and the BYOB ranch setting have made it one of the most famous barbecue destinations in Texas — as much an outing as a meal.

The open-pit method gives the meat a distinctive char and a smokier edge than closed-pit joints, and the family-style platter is the way to experience it, brisket and sausage and ribs arriving all at once under the oaks. The signature tangy-sweet sauce is found nowhere else and divides purists, which is part of the fun. The Salt Lick is a Texas institution built for a crowd — a long, lazy, platter-piled afternoon in the Hill Country.

• Style: Central Texas Style
• Price: $$
• Neighborhood: Driftwood
• Serving since 1967

What to order

• Family-Style Platter
• Beef Brisket
• Pork Ribs
• Sausage

How it scores — 8.6/10 overall

• Smoke: 8.7/10
• Bark: 8.5/10
• Tenderness: 8.6/10
• Consistency: 8.5/10
• Value: 8.9/10
• Atmosphere: 8.8/10

Visiting

• Address: 18300 FM 1826, Driftwood, TX 78619
• Phone: (512) 858-4959
• Website: https://saltlickbbq.com/

Hours: Sun–Thu 11am–9pm, Fri–Sat 11am–10pm

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